The prior art is replete with efforts to solve the problem of permitting a sign to bend over and to return to its upright position upon the application and removal of a force, whether it be an automobile, an athlete, wind, or the application of some other force. Obviously, it is immaterial what the nature of the force is, since the only significant factor is that the sign stand must be capable of permitting the sign to bend over in response to the force and to return the sign stand to its normal vertical position once the force has been removed. The following prior art references are considered exemplary of the very devices which have been proposed to meet this need.
Danish Pat. No. 660,595, 1965, describes a display device which comprises a base, an upstanding frame structure having a relatively large surface area for receiving display indicia, a spring structure mounting the frame structure onto the base, the spring structure comprising spring means connected at two spaced apart locations between the lower portion of the frame structure and the base, the surface area of the frame being of a size which normally causes displacement upon application of sufficient force thereagainst, the spring structure normally maintaining the frame structure in an upright position and being yieldable in either direction along an axis, the resistance to deflection of the spring structure being such that the spring structure will deflect upon application of a force and permits the downward deflection of the frame structure.
Australian Pat. No. 241,196, 1962, discloses an advertising device which is supported in a similar manner, except that only one spring is used. Lagler, U.S. Pat. No. 2,243,912, discloses a display sign supported by a single spring and Felton, U.S. Pat. No. 1,828,892, discloses a support for a warning signal which operates upon the same principle, i.e., a flexible spring supporting the warning signal. A similar device is disclosed by Thompson, U.S. Pat. No. 2,193,747 and by Menachof, U.S. Pat. No. 2,155,992. Mayer, U.S. Pat. No. 1,089,143, discloses a resiliently biased swinging sign, which is supported by a vertical axis but permitted to swing around a vertical pivot being resiliently biased to a central position by a spring.
Hood, U.S. Pat. No. 2,165,704, discloses a spring supported sign stand which uses one or two vertical springs as the support for the sign. The springs are wound with the coils in contact with each other. Sarkisian, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,662,482 and Sarkisian, 3,646,696 each discloses a coil spring supported sign stand which is a very minor variant of the Hood type device, the principal difference being that Sarkisian uses two spaced apart springs to prevent canting and twisting of the sign and to permit it to pivot only along a forward and backward axis, rather than in all directions. Sarkisian's sign, except for the function of the two spaced apart springs, functions on the same principle as is disclosed by Hood, as well as a number of other references. Henne, U.S. Pat. No. 2,292,785, discloses a sign stand which is supported by two spaced apart springs while Beck, U.S. Pat. No. 1,532,865 discloses a similar sign which is supported by a horizontal pivoting structure but biased in a vertical position by spaced apart springs.
The Danish Pat. No. 97389, 1963, discloses a display device which comprises a pair of spaced apart coil springs extending upwardly from a base, the upstanding frame structure secured to and supported on the upper ends of the springs, the frame having a relatively large surface area for receiving display indicia, the surface area of the frame being of a size which would only be displaced upon application of sufficient wind force thereagainst, the springs being yieldable in a direction to permit downward deflection of the frame structure.
Trump U.S. Pat. No. 2,144,038 discloses an antenna mount using support springs while Birge et al U.S. Pat. No. 2,949,324 discloses a flexible sign post in which the coils of the spring are in compression with respect to each other, the amount of compression being such that the springs will deflect upon application of a force thereto. Similar devices are shown by Franklin U.S. Pat. No. 1,726,817, Watts U.S. Pat. No. 1,487,635 and Lynch U.S. Pat. No. 1,013,410.
Other sign stands which permit the sign to bend or deflect upon application of a force are disclosed in West German Auslegeschrift No. 1,268,952, Corry U.S. Pat. No. 1,662,298, Doyle U.S. Pat. No. 2,096,275, Shotwell U.S. Pat. No. 1,449,063, Webb U.S. Pat. No. 626,256, Mueller Jr. et al U.S. Pat. No. 1,750,118, Bigelow U.S. Pat. No. 1,856,349, Donovan U.S. Pat. No. 2,164,680, Eara Sr. U.S. Pat. No. 3,616,557, Griswold U.S. Pat. No. 1,760,270, Meyer U.S. Pat. No. 2,168,912, Batcha U.S. Pat. No. 3,115,325, Lowe U.S. Pat. No. 2,308,525, and Rushmore U.S. Pat. No. 1,599,066.
There are other sign stands which permit, in one manner or another, some deflection; however, the foregoing are considered representative of the known prior art.
In general, two approaches have been taken to permit a sign resiliently to deflect upon application of force. In one category, i.e., pivot is provided and a resilient restoring means works in conjunction with the pivot to maintain the sign in a normal position, usually vertical. In the other approach, a resilient means is provided for supporting the sign, the application of force causing the resilient means to bend. These resilient means may include, most typically, coil springs or torsion springs. A pair of spaced apart springs are very commonly used to support signs and it is very common to use coil springs in which the various coils are in compression one with another. These approaches have been well-known and were well-known and widely used at least two or three decades ago.
The present invention provides an improved construction with a number of significant advantages, generally including a firm and solid non-resilient vertical mounting of the sign so that in the absence of considerable force the sign remains in a very stable upright vertical position and also providing off-center pivot means to permit, upon application of a predetermined amount of force, the sign to deflect.